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by
Matthew Speer
Humans create a lot of garbage.
Garbage fills up a lot of landfills. And
those landfills can create a lot of environmental issues. What can be done?
In America, it might seem like a major
problem.
Especially since landfills include a number
of materials that are not biodegradable.
But there is a solution that can reduce waste
and even help to create energy.
How Does Waste to Energy Work?
Municipal solid waste is the official name of
garbage.
Instead of going to a landfill to do
potential harm to the environment, it is used to produce energy.
It works like this: the trash gets dumped
into a large pit. A huge claw scoops up the trash and it gets incinerated.
The heat from the incineration is combined
with water to create steam. That steam is used to make turbines spin and the
turbines create electricity.
Sweden: Gold Standard for Waste to Energy Use
While waste to energy plants have a lot of
potential, they need to be widely used to be the most effective.
Less than 1% of household waste in Sweden
ends up in landfills. In contrast, more than half of waste in the United States
went into landfills in 2015.
Sweden makes it a priority to convert as much
trash as possible into energy. And that garbage can make a significant
difference.
How much energy can four tons of garbage
produce?
The equivalent of a ton of oil or 1.6 tons of
coal, according to a Swedish power plant run by a municipal government company
called Tekniska Verken.
In Sweden, they recycle about 49% of their
trash and about 50% goes to the waste to energy plants.
While it isn’t the main source of the
country’s energy, it does help to provide warmth in the winter.
America is Also Working to Reduce Waste
While America may not have the same waste
reduction rates as Sweden just yet, there are still many ways that the U.S. is
working to reduce waste.
Aside from their own waste to energy plants,
the U.S. also offers a number of waste reduction opportunities.
Recycling converts the trash into new
materials.
Composting turns waste from organic materials
into usable fertilizer that helps plants grow. These are just some of the ways
that Americans can make the most of their waste.
There are even ways to make cash with trash.
Recycling programs can help reduce the amount
of waste that ends up in landfills and can even pay in some places, depending
on local laws.
Anything that helps to reduce waste is a
worthy cause. And if it can also help bring in a few extra dollars, that’s even
better!
Matthew
Speer
is a Marketing and Advertising Executive that has worked with companies like
AOL and U.S. News University Connection. He also has a passion for
sustainability and keeping the Earth a beautiful place for our future
generations which is why he helped create iSustainableEarth.com. Inspired by
his own family and taking strides to go green he strives to live a sustainable
lifestyle through research and action.
http://www.isustainableearth.com/energyefficiency/what-is-waste-to-energy
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